Obama Gets Guest Spot in Amazing Spider-Man

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Obama Gets Guest Spot in Amazing Spider-Man

President-elect Barack Obama's inauguration will form a story line in an upcoming issue of The Amazing Spider-Man.

Spidey's alter-ego, Peter Parker, spots an Obama impostor while photographing the inaugural events, according to the Associated Press, and Spider-Man swings into action to sort things out. A basketball test and a Spidey-Obama fist-bump figure in the story arc. USA Today, which published several panels from the comic, fingers the Chameleon as the villain in the plot.

Marvel Comics Editor-in-Chief Joe Quesada said Obama's guest spot became a reality after it was revealed that the future Oval Office occupant collected Spider-Man comics as a child.

"How great is that? The commander in chief to be is actually a nerd in chief," Quesada said. "It was really, really cool to see that we had a geek in the White House. We're all thrilled with that."

The Obama story is a bonus in Amazing Spider-Man No. 583, which will be available in comic book shops Jan. 14 for $4. Half the print run, which is expected to sell out, will feature the variant cover (pictured) depicting Obama.

Comic books have a long history of depicting presidents, and both Obama and his political rival, Sen. John McCain, got the pen-and-ink pulp treatment during the 2008 campaign.

"We do our best to be completely nonpartisan and treat presidents with respect," Quesada told USA Today. "This is not so much a pro-Obama statement but a tip of the hat to having a Spider-Man fan in the White House."